When people grow up they have dreams about what they want to be in life. Some dreams are general whilst others are quite specific. I remember that when I was at Primary School our teacher often asked us: “What do you want to be when you grow up? When we reached Secondary School the same question was asked by our teachers and very often our dreams would have changed to reflect a more mature and realistic appreciation of the world. In general some of responses included the following:
A professional such as a Doctor, Lawyer, Teacher, Nurse etc.
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A successful businessperson
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Very rich with lots of money to spend
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Marry a beautiful wife
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Living in my own big house with modern amenities
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Running a big Company
In nearly all cases the dream envisioned thatyou would be either a successful professional or at the helm of an organization providing leadership to determine the future success of the Company.
We carry these dreams with us when we start our working career. Most of us dream of a day when we climb up the corporate ladder in an organisation to become the Head of the Department or ultimately the Managing Director of the Company, Parastatal or Government Department. A fundamental assumption which we make as part of the career progression is that the boss will either leave, die or retire sooner rather than later so that I can take over.
I have been motivated to write this article because of the culture which seems to be prevalent in both the Public and Private sectors in Zimbabwe which has the effect of frustrating the normal legitimate expectations of people that they will succeed their boss (Manager or Supervisor) upon the retirement age. Most people would probably agree with the observation that to run a race and not pass the baton is madness.
HR Professionals have coined the term “succession planning” in line with notion that every organization needs to have in place a formal and systematic process for the identification and development of potential successors for key positions in the organization in order to ensure future organisational survival and prosperity.
It has been observed that “success without a successor is failure” This is indeed true of many entrepreneurs who do everything right except grow successors. The day they die is the day that the business dies. How tragic: This phenomenon is not limited to the world of business alone but is also prevalent in politics, religious and social arena.
If it is true that there is one certainty in life: no one will always be around forever then surely this fact of life makes it imperative for leaders to consciously develop people around them who will carry their dreams to the next generations.
If one scans the Public and Private sector leadership arena in Zimbabwe today one is overwhelmed by the number of leaders who are now as good as permanent fixtures in their organisations.
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I will go next year (which never comes!)
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I have done so much for this organization. I can’t just be pushed out.
One can ask the question; why do people refuse to accept that they have to retire or leave the organization and that someone else will come and probably do a better job?
Some experts (Peter Laslet, Cambridge Historian) have come up with a characterization of life into 3 distinct phases namely, the first age which covers the period when we are growing up and the second age which covers the period when we are either in full time employment or running our business full time. The third age refers to the period when we have to leave our formal occupations and retire which often comes as a shock to the individual.
The reasons why people are disinclined to want to retire are complex and numerous but can be summarized in the following paragraphs.
Firstly, its due to lack of retirement planning. Many people live in a denial frame of mind about retirement. They often entertain the notion that they are still able to carry out their duties and therefore they do not see the need to let go of their jobs.
Secondly,its to do with a mismatch between current employment benefits and retirement benefits. One of the devastating effects of the hyper- inflationary era prior to dollarization in Zimbabwe was to wipe out the retirement benefits which pensioners traditionally enjoyed. In many organisations leaders often have an oversupply of benefits associated with the job. These include an assortment of allowances, a Driver, security at home etc. The prospect of losing these benefits on retirement is devastating.
Thirdly, it is the emotion associated with the loss of power and influence. Most leaders occupy influential positions which extend to the wider community.
What are the practical steps which organisations should take in order to implement an effective succession planning system and manage the “retirement crisis” mentioned above?
To be continued under Part B of this article.
Emmanuel Jinda is the Managing Consultant of PROSERVE Consulting Group, a leading supplier of Professional Human Resources and Management services locally, regionally and internationally. He can be contacted at
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A professional such as a Doctor, Lawyer, Teacher, Nurse etc